Some Californians who are arrested for DUI may show up at court and discover that charges have not yet been filed against them. You may go for weeks without hearing anything from the court. If this happens – or has happened – to you, it doesn’t mean that you can simply forget about it. On the other hand, the law guarantees that you won’t have a DWI charge hanging over you forever. If you are facing any DWI trouble in Orange County, the first thing you need to do is speak about your case with an experienced Orange County DUI lawyer.

If your DWI charge is not a felony – most DUIs are not – the state has one year from the day you were arrested to file charges against you. Usually, a prosecutor will file charges before the first court date. A prosecutor may wait to file charges when waiting on the results of a chemical DUI test or other evidence. At times in some jurisdictions, a prosecutor may simply be backlogged. If charges have not been filed against you, you’ll be told at your first court date that you will be notified by mail if and when charges are filed.

Don’t just forget about it and hope the prosecutor forgets too. If charges haven’t been filed by the time of your first court date, that’s precisely when you should contact an experienced Orange County DWI attorney. Your lawyer may be able to speak with the prosecutor, and in some cases, may be able to persuade the prosecutor not to file charges at all. No result can be guaranteed in any DWI case, but the right attorney will fight diligently and tirelessly on your behalf.

One last word of warning. If you were arrested for DWI – even years ago – and you never went to court or resolved the case, it does not mean the statute of limitations has expired. In fact, there may be a warrant for your arrest. If you have doubts about the resolution of an old DUI arrest, if you’ve been arrested but not yet charged, or if you currently face a DWI charge in Orange County, don’t wait. Arrange at once to speak to an experienced Orange County DUI lawyer.